The true Heian era is not only about the elegance of the nobility, but also the suffering of the people at the bottom

Rowan 2022-03-15 08:01:01

"Doctor Sansho" is the third film I watched at this festival. Although it is a black and white film from 1954, it can be shot so delicately. Shots and composition are perfect. The acting of the old actors is absolutely superb. Obviously it is a long and complex story, but it is very clear and complete. The background of the story is set in the Heian period in Japan. Most of the works that I usually see about that era describe the elegant life of the nobles, but few of them expose the pain and misfortune of the people at the bottom like this film. The peasant class at that time was already very poor, let alone the slave class. The protagonist of the story suddenly changed from being a nobleman at the beginning to a slave at the bottom, and was forced to work non-stop every day until his death. From this perspective, the story deeply depicts the ruthlessness of the exploiting class and the hellish life of the people at the bottom. The director has realistically restored the misery of that era. Although the protagonist was finally reunited with his mother and son, he has gone through ups and downs, and things are different. In the film, the song that the mother sang because she missed her children made me feel heartbroken. After watching the movie, I suddenly thought of the second game in the distant time and space series. The background era of the game also mentioned the profound contradictions between the nobles and the people at the bottom of the Heian period, and even the religious thoughts of the Pure Land of the End Times were born. Fortunately, there are at least a few good people in the aristocracy whose conscience is still alive in the film, which helps the protagonist a lot. Therefore, this film is not only perfect from the perspective of artistic appreciation, but also expresses a profoundly profound and historical theme.

View more about Sansho the Bailiff reviews

Extended Reading
  • Jada 2022-03-19 09:01:10

    The representative work of Kenji Mizoguchi's most prolific year won the Venice Silver Lion Award. 1. Adapted from folklore, the story of ups and downs - slavery - revenge & family search, unfortunately it was not really shot according to Mizoguchi's original intention. 2. This time, it no longer focuses on women (but the portrayal of the role of An Shou is very powerful), but on the male subject's return to his lost way, his return to his original intention, his accusation of the feudal power system, and his sigh of class fate as always. 3. The depth of field composition of Mizoguchi is rich in details, and the moving long mirror is smooth and natural, which is integrated with the story. It is a model of the perfect combination of form and content. 4. The direction of movement of the characters (horizontal, rising and falling, depth and diagonal) basically follows the classic film language system; transitions are made by overlapping when time jumps. 5. Blank space and off-painting space: In the scene of soldering iron punishment and breaking hamstrings, the victims are all outside the painting, but there are painful screams. 6. A beautiful and painful passage: the bamboo forest is hidden, the fog is filled, the mother's mournful singing lingers in the ears, and I slowly step into the lake, and then there are only ripples. 7. The beauty of Kagawa Kyoko does not need makeup and clothing at all. (8.5/10)

  • Marques 2022-04-24 07:01:25

    Relive it on the big screen in #SIFF#. The brilliance of the Eastern Lincoln Chef King is still overwhelmed by the sister and mother, two typical Mizoguchi female characters, who sacrificed everything for their families in exchange for the high-spirited revenge of the Chef King, in terms of technique and atmosphere (focus on the opening Night in the Mountains) Although not as good as other Mizoguchi's images, the emotions are very abundant, and the scene where the slaves suffered made the audience sigh. @Shanghai Tianshan Cinema

Sansho the Bailiff quotes

  • Zushiô: [quoting his father] "Without mercy, man is not a human being."

  • Masauji Taira: [Speaking to his son Zushio on the verge of being exiled and separated from his family] Zushio, I wonder if you'll become a stubborn man like me. You may be too young to understand, but hear me out anyway. Without mercy, man is like a beast. Even if you are hard on yourself, be merciful to others. Men are created equal. Everyone is entitled to their happiness.